Trenching machine



C. L. GEORGE Dec. 27, 41932.

TRENCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed March 25, 1952 Dec,27,1932. C; GEORGE v v 1,892,526

TRENCHING MACHINE Original Filed March 25; 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented lied. 2 7

UNITED STATES CHARLES L. GEORGE, OF FINDLAY, OHIO,

AssIoNoR TO THE BUCKEYE 'rRAc'rIoN DITCHER COMPANY, OF FINDLAY, OHIO,CORPORAT'IONJQF OHIO TRENOHING MACHINE Original application filed March25, 1932, Serial No. 601,209. Divided and this application filed July14,

1932. Serial This invention relates particularly to trenching machinesof the wheel-type.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a drive means ofnovel arrangement and construction between the digging wheel and sourceof power, which means employs drive chains having definite centers andavoids the necessity of using some type of chain slack device tomaintain the driving means operative for different adjusted positions ofthe digging wheel and its frame.

This application is a division of my former application, Serial No.601,209, filed March 25, 1932.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and oneembodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of an excavating machine embodying theinvention, with the digging wheel in lowered digging position, portionsof the machine being omitted; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of thedigging wheel driving means, together with associated portions of themachine, and Figs. 3 and 4:

are sections on the lines 33 and 4l4, respectively, in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the main frame of a trenchingmachine, carried, in the present instance, by tractor units 2 of theapron-type, and itself carrying various power and control units commonto machines of this type.

The customary upright frame 3- is provided at the rear end of theframe 1. The digging wheel 4 is carried in the usual or any suitablemanner by the vertically swinging frame 5, which at its forward or innerend is provided with hanger arms 6 pivotally suspended from blocks 7guided for vertical sliding movements by the upright 8, as wellunderstood in the art. The vertical adjustment of the inner and outerends of the wheel frame is effected by means of cables 8 and 9 extendingover sheaves at the top of the upright from suitable control means 10 onthe main frame. All of these features of construction are wellunderstood in the art and need not, therefore, be described in detail.The mechanism for transmitting power to the di in Wheel from suitableower o 1:,

means mounted on the main frame 1 comprises a cross-shaft 11 mounted onthe main frame forward of the upright 3 and having suitably controlleddriving connection with a power unit 12. This shaft may be termed thedrive shaft as appliedto the driving connection between the power unitand digging wheel, and may be the same, both in its mounting anddriving, as the corresponding shaft of the drive'means now commonlyemployed.

. The shaft 11 has a sprocket-wheel 13 fixed to each end thereof, andalso has-a small wheel or disc member 14 mounted thereon between eachwheel 13- and the adjacent end of the casing 15 in which the shaft ismounted. The shaft is longer than the width of the frame 3, so that themembers 13 and 14:

are disposed beyond its sides. 7

An arm 16 is mounted at its forward end on each disk member 14 by meansof a strap 17 for swinging coaxially with the shaft 11,

andhas its opposite or rear end provided with a 'U-shaped' yoke 18 withthe arms thereof" horizontally spaced. A" cross-shaft l9 parallels theshaft 11 and is mountedat its respective end portions in suitablebearings or openings provided inthe ends of the arms of the respectiveyokes 18. The shaft 19 serves to firmly connect the arms 16, 16, and tocooperate therewith to form a substantially U-shaped frame for swingingmovements about the axis of the shaft 11. j

A hub of sleeve member 20 is mounted on the shaft 19 between the armsofeach yoke 18 and carries two sprocket-wheels 21 and 22. Eachsprocket-wheel I3- is connected by a sprocket-chain 23 to the respectivesprocket wheels 21 on the shaft 19.

The shaft 19 is spaced with respect to the customary digging wheeldriving shaft 24 on the frame 5 by a pair of arms 25, each of which hasa U-shaped bearing yoke 26 at one end for hearing engagement with therespective end of the shaft 19, while the opposite end of the arm isprovided with astrap 27 loosely embracing a disc 28 on the respectiveend of the shaft 24, thus permitting swinging movements of the armsrelative to the shaft 24. Each yoke 26 straddles a respective set ofsprocket wheels 21 and 22, and, in the present instance, has its armsalternating with the arms of the yoke 18. The customary sprocket-wheel29 is mounted on each end of the shaft 24 at :the outer side of theframe 5 and is connected by a sprocket-chain 30 to the respectivesprocket-wheel 22 on the shaft 19.

The shaft 24 has driving connection with the V digging wheel 4 throughspur-gears 31 mounted on the shaft and in engagement with annular setsof teeth 32 on the rim members of the digging wheel, as well understoodin the art. It is apparent with this form of drive for the diggingwheel, that the digging wheel frame 5 may be placed in any position ofadjustment relative to the main frame without affecting the efficientdriving action of the driving means, and that it eliminates the use ofsome type of chain slack device customarily employed. 7 V

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of theparts, as it is capable ofnumerous modifications or changes without departing from the spirit ofthe claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

In combination, in a trenching machine, a main frame, a relativelyadjustable digging wheel-carrying frame, transverse drive and drivenshafts carried respectively by said frames, an intermediate shaft, anarm swingingly connected to each end of the drive shaft and having ayoke at its free end, the arms of which receive the intermediate shaft,an arm swingingly projecting from each end of the driven shaft andhaving a yoke with its arms mounted on and the intermediate shaft incooperating relation to respective yokes of the first-mentioned arms, apair of fixedly connected sprocket-wheels mounted on the intermediateshaft between the arms of each cooperating set of yokes, asprocket-wheel on the outer end of each of the drive and driven shafts,sprocket-chains connecting each sprocket-wheel on the drive shaft totherespective sprocket-wheel on the intermediate shaft and a sprocket-chainconnecting each sprocket-wheel on the driven shaft to a respectivesprocket-wheel on the intermediate shaft In testimony whereof I havehereimto signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES L. GEORGE.

